Pedestrians were sent flying when a car mounted a pavement and ploughed into them.

Seven people were hit including a nine-year-old girl whose leg was broken and a man who was flung through the window of a nearby building.

Emergency crews arriving at the scene in North Street, Brighton, said it looked "like a massacre".

One policeman said: "When the dust settled we realised it wasn't quite as bad as that. But everyone was extremely lucky."

Four people were taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, including the girl with the broken leg.

The 19-year-old driver, from Portslade, was also taken to hospital. Officers were waiting at the Royal Sussex to take her to John Street police station for questioning.

The crash happened at 11pm when a Renault 5, travelling down North Street, hit a parked Ford and ploughed into the pedestrians at the junction with New Road, opposite Hanningtons.

Two groups of people were walking on the pavement close to a bus stop at the time but some managed to dive to safety. Those hurt suffered mainly cuts, bruises and shock.

The girl is thought to have been with her 74-year-old grandmother. Both are from Hampshire. The grandmother also went to hospital, as did a 22-year-old Brighton man.

He was sent flying through a window of the disused Halifax Bank on the corner of New Road and North Street.

Rescuers said he was found inside the building covered in shattered glass.

A passenger in the Renault, an 18-year-old man from Portslade, escaped injury. The Renault and Ford were both badly damaged.

North Street was closed for four hours while emergency services dealt with the casualties and wreckage.

Inspector Mark Dunn, of Sussex Police, said: "The consequences could have been horrendous.

"The crash was categorised as a major incident at first but we discovered that there were no life-threatening injuries. Everyone was extremely lucky."

A police patrol car, its lights flashing and siren sounding, was in the area at the time answering an emergency call.

Police are investigating whether the Renault driver was distracted by the noise and lights.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the crash should contact traffic police at Shoreham on 0845 6070999.